


Running Interference

by XzadionOmega



Series: Capturing Moods [3]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Flash Fic, Gen, Tsviets Live
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 15:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4064995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XzadionOmega/pseuds/XzadionOmega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's better than hiring help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Interference

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to distant-glory for checking over Nero's voice!

            The clatter downstairs has Denzel awake almost immediately. His heart is pounding. _Someone’s in the house!_ He looks across the space between his and Marlene’s bed. She’s sitting up, blankets pooling around her waist. Her tiny chest expands and contracts with each labored breath. Marlene turns her wild eyes to Denzel and whispers “What was that?”

            “I don’t know,” he hisses back. “It’s not Cloud.” Cloud is in Wutai on a delivery, three weeks away from coming back home. As Denzel slowly climbs out of bed, he considers that it might be Tifa. Then there’s another clamor; a male voice shouting in pain. It’s not Tifa either. Denzel’s whole body feels lighter as he takes the baseball bat next to the door.

            The covers shift behind him. “Marlene, stay here.”

            “I’m coming with you.” She grabs the hem of his shirt and pulls close.

            “Fine. Let go of my shirt though…”

            When Marlene does so, they make a silent procession through the dark hallways and down into the bar. Each step is silent as a cat, but right at the top of the stairs, the floorboard lets out a terrible creak that makes Marlene gasp.

            _It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. I have to be brave._

            “You can still go,” he whispers.

            “I’m fine.”

            At the bottom of the stairs, Denzel stands in the darkness, listening to the labored breathing of the intruder. Denzel counts to himself— _One, two, three!—_ before slamming the light-switch up. With a shout, he swings the bat hard into the open air.

            His bat makes solid contact, but the assailant caught it. As Denzel’s eyes adjust, he realizes that the eyes glaring holes into him are familiar. “You!”

            “Child, what do you think you’re doing?” Nero the Sable, the “very dangerous” man that Denzel was told to leave alone at all time, relinquishes the bat. “You and the lass are supposed to be sleeping.”

            Denzel stammers and holds the bat close. Behind him, Marlene grips his shirt’s hem and slips behind him again. “What are you doing down here?”

            Without a word, Nero points down. Denzel looks down and shrieks. An unconscious man is splayed out on the floor of the bar. His tongue lolls out onto the tiles. Marlene peeks around him. “Wh-What happened to him?”

            “He came in to raid the bar, I’m assuming for valuables. Alcohol.” After a pause, he continues, “Or money, I suppose.” Denzel’s eyes narrow. Who doesn’t know that money is valuable? Nero kneels down and pulls something out of the man’s pockets. He dangles the gun in front of Denzel’s eyes. “It seems that he was willing to put some force into retrieving them.”

            At his back, there’s a call of “What’s going on down here?” and Tifa emerges from the upstairs. Her eyes fall on Nero, the gun, and Denzel, all in the same few feet of space. Wrapped in a blue bathrobe, she stands up on her tiptoes and glares into Nero’s red eyes. “What are you doing?”

            “Tifa Lockheart, look down.” Tifa looked between her slipper-clad feet and started at the sight of the man. “A would-be thief. Now…” Nero knelt down and scooped the man up. Hauling him over his shoulder, Nero moved to leave the bar, carrying the man.

            “Where are you taking him?”

            “I’m leaving him in that trash depository behind the building.”

            “The dumpster?”

            “Yes.” Nero hoisted the man higher up. “Unless you would rather I mount him above your establishment as a warning to others.” Tifa’s head gives a jerky shake. “Then the dumpster.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I guess Nero... Sleeps in Tifa's bar after hours? Like, curled up on a bench or behind the bar? Alternatively, he barely sleeps and steals Cloud's bed when he needs to. That could be the next fic. Who knows?


End file.
